


Ode to a Rattail

by Riadasti



Category: I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore (2017)
Genre: F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-06
Updated: 2020-08-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:02:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25747099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Riadasti/pseuds/Riadasti
Summary: He’s staring at her in a pointed way. She’s suddenly curious to see what would happen if she took off his glasses.
Relationships: Ruth/Tony
Comments: 8
Kudos: 13





	Ode to a Rattail

Tony knocks on the door and then lets himself in anyway—Ruth is used to it by now, so it doesn’t bother her anymore. He really only knocks because she told him he had to. He walked in on her when she had just stepped out of the shower, and she nearly ripped his rattail off to teach him a lesson.

“So I’ve been thinking,” he says—no preamble, no ‘hello,’ just dives right in, Tony-style.

“Yeah?” She says, around a mouthful of potato chips.

“I need your help with something.”

“Anything,” she says with her usual candor.

It’s true. He’s her best friend, and they’ve been through enough shit together (including almost dying) for him to know he doesn’t even have to ask anymore. But it’s like knocking on the door—he does it out of courtesy to her. That’s just the kind of guy Tony is.

“Come with me.” He walks over, takes her hand, and leads her to the bathroom.

She frowns at him. “What kind of help are you needing, exactly?” Her voice is pitched a bit higher than usual. The bathroom is an odd place to go _together_.

He pulls a set of clippers out of his back pocket (I mean, who does that? Only Tony) and plugs it into the wall outlet.

“Shave it off,” he says.

“The rattail? But you love it! You said it was to make a statement. You said—”

“I know what I said,” he holds up a hand dramatically.

His face is so serious that she almost bursts into laughter. She resists the urge out of respect for him. This is a big moment, after all.

He puts the clippers into her hand, flips the button, and says, “Do it.”

Ruth swallows convulsively. She’s never shaved anyone’s head before. She gently grasps his braided rattail in one hand and then deftly swipes the clippers across the nape of his neck. She does a little bit of trimming to make the rest of the hair even, and then she turns off the device with reverent silence.

She tenderly passes the braided lock of hair into his outstretched hand.

“Should we say a few words?” Ruth asks, staring into his face with deep concern.

He removes his amber aviator glasses, puts a hand to his heart, and can only nod his head.

Ruth takes a deep breath to sober her spirits before she begins. “Um…rattail, we will miss you. You’ve been part of Tony’s life for—how many years?”

“Ten.”

“For ten years—ten? _Really_? I’m actually kind of impressed.”

He frowns at her.

“Yes, right.” She corrects, clearing her throat. “You have been a symbol of—of individuality and creativity. And now it is time for Tony to move on and try new things. But that doesn’t mean he will forget you, rattail. You will always hold a special place in his heart.”

Tony wipes at a tear—a real tear—and then surprises Ruth by wrapping her in a tight hug. She’s hesitant to return it at first, but she relaxes into it. She has to tap his shoulder for him to let go, and she quickly suggests they get a beer. For some reason, she’s not able to look him in the eye. Maybe it’s because she knows this was especially important for him. It was a milestone in his personal growth, and that’s not something you share with a shallow acquaintance. It’s an intimate event, and he chose to share it with Ruth. She’s touched.

He slumps down onto the sofa, and she brings them both a beer and a pack of Ho Hos.

“I haven’t eaten one of these since I was a kid!” He laughs, and she’s glad to see him brightening up to his usual self.

They devolve into light chatter, and she leans back on the couch beside him. After a while, they lapse into comfortable silence. She considers getting up to turn the radio on, wondering if they should celebrate with their own form of a dance-off, but she feels like they just need to sit here for a moment.

“Hey.” Tony says after a while.

Ruth turns her head, realizing he’s only a few inches away. “What?”

Tony shrugs one shoulder. “Nothing. Just ‘hey.’”

She laughs at him, looking at those ridiculously big blue eyes behind his aviators.

“You lookin’ at where my sweet tail used to be?” He wiggles his eyebrows at her and leans closer, wiggling the discarded braid of hair in her face.

She pushes it away with a laugh. He tickles her ear with it, and then her chin, and then she’s suddenly aware that he’s very close to her.

“So why all the sudden interest in getting rid of your trademark?” she asks, clearing her throat and sitting up, a bit anxious to put distance between them again.

He shrugs one shoulder again. “I thought it was time for a change.”

He’s staring at her in a pointed way. She’s suddenly curious to see what would happen if she took off his glasses. The moment she does, he leans forward and kisses her, as if reading her thoughts. It’s only a light peck on the lips, but she’s stunned by this gesture nonetheless.

Is _that_ the kind of change he’s looking for?

He kisses her again, this time longer and with surprising eagerness and interest on her own part. Then he rubs his nose against hers, kind of like a cat. This draws up a laugh from her.

“There are a lot of assholes in the world. But you’re not one of them, Tony.”

He smirks at her. “Thanks, I guess?” It _was_ sort of an odd compliment, after all.

“I’m serious!” She pokes at his ribs, which she can feel through his jacket.

He’s so much thinner than she is, and a little shorter—but she doesn’t mind one bit.

“Okay,” he concedes.

He takes one finger and traces it down the side of her face, then lets it glide down her neck and across her collarbone.

 _Damn, he’s good_.

She’s about to tell him as much when he puts the rattail in her face.

“I swear to God, if you bring that thing near me again—”

He silences her with another kiss. She grasps either side of his jacket collar and draws him closer, suddenly eager to taste more of him—more than just the Little Debbie cakes and beer on his lips. He must have the same notion, because he’s pulled back to kiss down the side of her chin and neck. They continue with these exercises till they are both thoroughly out of breath.

“I like this ‘turning over a new leaf’ thing you’ve got going,” she says after a pause.

“I like you,” he says, looking endearingly uncertain after the words leave his lips.

Ruth studies him for a moment. He’s the only man she knows who uses nun-chucks un-ironically, and until today, the only one with a rattail braid hanging off the back of his head. And she has a feeling they’re stuck with each other in the best way.

“I like you, too,” she says softly. And it's the truth, she realizes.

She’s unprepared for him when he practically pounces on top of her, but she relaxes under his touch when he proves just how much he likes her only moments later. She might even just forgive him for putting the stupid braid of hair in her face one last time because— _damn._ He is surprisingly and shockingly _good_.

And she thinks to herself that maybe this world isn’t as shitty as she thought, not with people like Tony in it.

**Author's Note:**

> This little indie film was so bizarre and so fun at the same time. I loved Tony and Ruth's interactions and found their relationship had a lot of promise, both as friends and maybe even lovers. Enjoy this little piece of fluff!


End file.
